The "Middle East and Terrorism" Blog was created in order to supply information about the implication of Arab countries and Iran in terrorism all over the world. Most of the articles in the blog are the result of objective scientific research or articles written by senior journalists.

From the Ethics of the Fathers: "He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it."

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Friday, May 18, 2018

Hamas: Fight to the last Gazan - Dr. Mordechai Kedar

by Dr. Mordechai Kedar

Hamas has betrayed the residents of Gaza. Instead of an Islamic regime, it has built one based on fear. Instead of hope, it has brought despair.

About a year ago I took part in a long and searching discussion
of Arab-Jewish relations with several friends in an Arab city in
Samaria. They were heads of leading hamulot (clans), traditionally the
respected leaders of the local population. The meeting took place at the
home of one of the city's dominant sheikhs, over a lavish platter of
fruits and vegetables fit for a king.

At some point,
my host ceased speaking, and after thinking for what seemed a very
long time, said in ponderous literary Arabic, incisive and serious,
weighing every word: "Doctor Kedar, do you know what a terrorist
organization is?" The question surprised and intrigued me, and I
answered "No," curious and awaiting his answer. "Mark my words, Doctor,"
he said, "a terrorist organization is not an organization fighting
against its enemies. A terrorist organization is an organization that
fights its own people, its own nation, fights the very people it claims
to protect, the children for whom it is responsible."

My
eyebrows raised in surprise, I asked "Kif – how is that?" and he
answered, in a voice permeated with sadness: "Look at ISIS, who do they
slaughter? The Muslims in Iraq, Syria, the Sinai. Look at Hezbollah, who
do they murder? The Syrian Muslims. Look at Hamas, who do they kill?
The people of Gaza. An organization fighting enemies is a liberation
organization, an organization fighting its own people is a terror
organization." The words were totally unexpected, and all those present
were shocked into silence. Not a sound could be heard in the room,
because the import of that statement is a declaration of war, no less,
on Hamas, made by a sheikh and his hamula. "Interesting," I finally was
able to say, keeping my thoughts to myself, intending to mull upon his
remarks later on.

During the past weeks, ever since
the riots – definitely not protests – began near the fence separating
life in Israel and death in Gaza, I keep thinking about the Sheikh's
statement. In the years since the Hamas movement took over Gaza
violently in June 2007, blowing up PA police stations, shooting at the
heads and knees of security personnel and policemen, hurling PLO members
from the roofs of buildings to their deaths on the street – ever since
that debacle, life in the area has deteriorated to the level of the
terrible conditions Gazans live under today.

Hamas
has spent a large part of the funds it was given to purchase weapons,
develop missiles, manufacture rockets, acquire explosives and dig
tunnels. Hamas has not built a single hospital in the Strip, not one
desalinization plant, nothing. Zero. Nada. Then Israel developed the
"Iron Dome" and simply erased the threat of rockets and missiles. It
soon found a solution for the tunnels as well. Hamas lacks tanks and
artillery. So what's left? How are they to attack Israel? What can they
use? The answer is to be found in the Sheikh's words: Hamas, after it
succeeded in putting out every flicker of hope left in the hearts of
Gaza residents, after it brought them to the depths of despair, has now
turned them into live ammunition aimed at Israel.

People
are the best weapon of all, low cost and self-activated for 50 shekels a
head. That is the sum Hamas pays each rioter. For 50 shekels, Hamas
gets a walking bomb, imbued with Hamas-produced anger, frustration and
despair. That is the real story of what is happening at the border fence
for the last few weeks, the reality that clearly exposes the reason
Hamas is defined as a terror organization: the war it has declared on
the residents of Gaza since the day it first took over their lives. Now
it is sending them to their deaths, knowing full well that Israel will
never, ever allow them to cross the fence to reach any kibbutz or moshav
filled with men, women and children. The very thought of the horrific
massacre that would ensue is terrifying.

Hamas is a
terrorist organization not [only] because of its war against Israel but because
it has betrayed the residents of Gaza: Instead of an Islamic regime, it
has instituted a regime based on fear. Instead of work, it has brought
unemployment. Instead of hope, it has caused despair. Hamas rule has
dragged the Gaza Strip into three rounds of violence with Israel: Cast
Lead (2008-09), Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014).
There is as yet no name for today's events, except for the delusional
one given them by Hamas - "the march of return," as if Israel was
actually going to allow a single rioter to "return" to Israel's
sovereign territory. All the Hamas mantras are old, tired slogans whose
objective is to ignite the human explosives with foreign fire.Every
person killed is a public relations accomplishment for Hamas, every
person wounded is a propaganda gain to mislead viewers in Europe and
America who have no understanding of Hamas' satanic plans to use the
people of Gaza as live ammunition against Israel, knowing that they will
be killed as soon as they try to break through the fence.

For
weeks now, Israel has been warning them of what happens to anyone who
touches the fence, this by means of warnings, flyers, telephone calls
and media communications. Everyone in Gaza, from Yihye Sinwar down to
the last of the rioters, now knows exactly what happens to anyone who
comes near the fence. That makes the rioters themselves and the Hamas
organization which sends them fully responsible for the deaths of these
live bullets

However, the foreign press is another
responsible party of which the public must be made aware. Anyone who
understands Hamas' plans knows full well that without media coverage all
the riots near and at the fence would not have occurred. After all, why
would Hamas waste human ammunition unless it could make an impression
on world opinion?

This is where Israeli idiocy steps
in, as Israel allows foreign media to reach the immediate surroundings
of Gaza (where Hamas tunnels end, where it attempts to kill and kidnap
men, women and children) to photograph - while standing behind them -
IDF snipers protecting the residents of kibbutzim and moshavim with
their own bodies. Most of the foreign correspondents do not tell their
audience the truth about these IDF heroes who faithfully fulfill their
mission to protect Israeli citizens. Instead, the media act as tools of
the Hamas terrorists, useful idiots who spread Hamas propaganda without
charge.

There are those who claim that the advent
of internet and social media makes it impossible to prevent this. Still,
one can limit the reports from the front line by temporarily shutting
internet access in Gaza. For anyone who does not know it, Israel
supplies internet services to Gaza. Do you get it? They get internet
access from Israel (do they pay for it? Who knows?) and use that medium
to spread propaganda lies about Israel. Is there anything more absurd?

What
about the electricity with which Israel supplies Gaza and which allows
the continued existence of the Hamas satellite television station
broadcasting rabid incitement against Israel 24/7? Why does Israel
continue to supply electricity to Gaza during these riots? During WWII
would it have entered the head of any normal, loyal British or Russian
citizen to supply electricity to the Nazi propaganda machine?

True,
Israel is better off acting as if it is "business as usual" before the
cameras, so that tourists do not flee and Israelis do not complain – but
we are at war and in war as in war. If Hamas fires human ammunition at
us, we are allowed to do anything reasonable to stop them – from taking
out Hamas leaders, those personally responsible for the terrible state
of the Gaza Strip and for the shots fired against the rioters
threatening Israeli citizens' lives and welfare.

In
contrast to the Arab world, Israel protects its citizens from the knives
of Gaza rioters. Israel, however, must also protect the image of its
citizens in the eyes of the world and act against those promoting
European "media terror" and the "Jihad media" promulgated by Hamas and
Arab satellites headed by al Jazeera. I am incapable of understanding how Israel continues to allow them to broadcast endless incitement from within its borders.

There
is no question that Israel will defeat Hamas, because Israel is
fighting a just war and Hamas is a terror organization whose reign of
terror over Gaza turns its population into disposable ammunition with
its own evil hands. The fate of Hamas is not in doubt: It will be dumped
in the ash heap of history, along with the other Arab dictators who
were overthrown in the "Arab Spring." Hamas, the despotic and
tyrannical terror movement, is no different than they, because it, too,
is prepared to sacrifice the Palestinian Arabs down to the last man on
the altar of its own survival.

Written in Hebrew for Arutz Sheva, translated by Rochel Sylvetsky

Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. He served in IDF Military Intelligence for 25 years, specializing in Arab political discourse, Arab mass media, Islamic groups and the Syrian domestic arena. Thoroughly familiar with Arab media in real time, he is frequently interviewed on the various news programs in Israel.Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/22157 Follow Middle East and Terrorism on TwitterCopyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.